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Lpez: De Vacas Dilemma

Last Updated: October 20, 2013 By Jos Antonio Lpez

Alvar Nuez Cabeza de Vaca

SAN ANTONIO, October 20 - It was April 1536. Alvar Nuez Cabeza de Vaca and three fellow Spaniards had walked nearly half-way through the Continent of America.

Finding themselves in present-day Sinaloa, Mexico, they were now face-to-face with a Spanish patrol they had met near the Gulf of California. The soldiers were the first Europeans that they had seen in nearly nine years. For obvious reasons, the itinerant travelers were at first elated to see their countrymen. However, suddenly Cabeza de Vaca faced a dilemma. He wasnt sure he was happy to see the Spanish patrol. How come? For the answer, we must retrace their wandering through much of East and South Texas and across present-day Central and Western Mexico. Recording the first early history of America, they began their adventure as ship-wreck victims on the upper Texas Coast in 1528. (Out of over 250 men, they appear to have been the sole survivors of the tragedy.) Almost immediately after landing, an indigenous tribe enslaved Cabeza de Vaca and his three companions in a most brutal way. Not allowed to rest or sleep for any appreciable amount of time, the captives spent most of their day and night at the whim of the collective tribe. They were constantly tormented and forced to do backbreaking work. Tribe members kicked, slapped, and poked the Europeans endlessly. The young ones cruelly pulled on the captives hair and beards. It seemed as if death was next for the wretched foursome. At minimum, they had given up hope of ever seeing Spain again. However, as each day passed, their chances for survival increased. Slowly, they gained the trust of tribal leaders and it didnt take Cabeza de Vaca long to figure out the tribes hunting system. Customarily, the group moved to a nearby island when seafood was abundant. At other times, food opportunities on the mainland enticed the tribe to exploit those food sources. To the relief of the castaways, their daily beatings and taunting stopped. Little by little they were allowed to mingle with other tribes they met in common feeding locations. Meeting new groups gave Cabeza de Vaca the idea to escape. His plan was to join one of the groups that travelled south. The Spaniards would then just keep on walking until reaching safety. Over three years, the captives had lived with several tribes and were now dispersed among four separate camps, located far from each other. Their plan would work only during those times that all groups shared a common feeding ground. During one such occurrence, they fled. By this time, the Spaniards had built a reputation as healers, and were regarded as holy men sent to the natives by the sun. Instead of showing hostility, the tribes were honored to have the four strangers living among them. As such, the castaways used their newfound importance to their advantage. By 1535, they had reached the Rio Grande, crossing it through what is now Falcon Lake in Zapata County. They were less than 100 miles from their goal. Yet, for reasons puzzling to historians, the travelers changed their direction to the north. Following the southern border of the Rio Grande, they travelled to present-day El Paso. Then, they turned south. Their entry into indigenous territories continued to be a spectacle. After

spending a few days in one camp, nearly the entire tribe escorted them to the next tribes territory; a routine they were now used to. In an area close to the Gulf of California, Cabeza de Vaca was informed that there were people up ahead whose skin was white like Cabeza de Vacas. The natives added with alarm that the group was evil. They chased their people and took captives away in chains to work as slaves in the mines. The news concerned Cabeza de Vaca greatly. During many nights of captivity, Cabeza de Vaca had reflected on the meaning of life. In spite of being tortured and deprived of food, he learned to accept his captors as fellow human beings. He believed that as Gods children, Native Americans had rights equal to those of whites. Most importantly, he believed that stronger human groups had no right to enslave weaker ones. So, believing he could make a difference, Cabeza de Vaca promised the natives that he would stop the slaving missions. It was a promise he couldnt keep! Meeting the patrol awakened Cabeza de Vacas horror toward slavery. This was evident when the patrol leader strongly implied that it was Cabeza de Vacas dut y to facilitate the enslavement of his large entourage. Angrily, Cabeza de Vaca refused! Still thinking he was an agent of change, he first took his plea for kinder treatment of Native Americans to the Viceroy, Antonio de Mendoza. Mendoza was not swayed and neither was Hernn Cortez, by now an equally high official in Mexico. Cabeza de Vaca returned to Spain where his message for dignified treatment of indigenous people was basically ignored. Wanting to return to America, Cabeza de Vaca asked to fill the position of Adelantado de Florida. However, Hernando De Soto was awarded that position. Instead, he became an Adelantado in South America. At first successful, his kindly treatment of Native Americans upset landowners in the region. He was charged with crimes, temporarily imprisoned, and then sent to Spain for trial. In Spain, the charges were proven to be false and he was pardoned. In summary, Cabeza de Vaca decisively solved the dilemma resulting from his rescue in 1536. That encounter launched his career as the first human rights advocate in America. Of consolation to Cabeza de Vaca fans, his Native American human rights activism in part triggered later royal edicts forbidding the enslavement of indigenous people in America. For doing the right thing for the right reasons, he lost power, prestige, and untold riches. Unappreciated and forgotten, Alvar Nuez Cabeza de Vaca died in poverty in Seville, Spain around 1558. Jos Antonio (Joe) Lpez was born and raised in Laredo, Texas, and is a USAF Veteran. He now lives in Universal City, Texas. He is the author of two books: The Last Knight (Don Bernardo Gutierrez de Lara Uribe, A Texas Hero), and Nights of Wailing, Days of Pain (Life in 1920s South Texas). Lopez is also the founder of the Tejano Learning Center, LLC, and www.tejanosunidos.org, a Web site dedicated to Spanish Mexican

people and events in U.S. history that are mostly overlooked in mainstream history books. ////

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